Good morning and welcome to the last Reliable Source chat before school starts again. That's right -- after Friday, we'll be on hiatus until the week of August 26. And then it will be all convention coverage for two weeks, and then it will be the middle of September and we'll all realize, as we do that time of year, that we're growing old together.

In the meantime, here's what's been on our plate lately. Not that I know. I'm already on vacation and haven't seen a newspaper since Saturday. Let's see if I can catch up. . .

Hoda going to London. Isnt this a red flag as to the ratings trouble the Today show is in. Obviously, Savannah wasnt the answer

A: Roxanne Roberts

NBC says that was always the plan. So why do I remember her saying she wasn't going just a few weeks ago? Anyway -- anything that helps: This morning I turned it on, heard Matt say to gymnasts' parents, 'Does this make all the early mornings worth it?" and clicked off. My brain can't take that much "well, duh" before coffee.

I have now added: "When you have to use a burner phone because your partner/his church is monitoring your cell phone" and "Your partner would rather read '50 Shades of Gray' than "talk" with you" . Any more recent news that can add to my list?

A U-Haul? R-Patts stars in a wildly successful movie series that is basically printing money for him, and he rents a U-Haul to move out? Do you think he rounded up some friends to help him carry the heavy stuff and thanked them with pizza and beer? Stars--they're just like us!

A: Amy Argetsinger

I've largely been abstaining from news, but I did get an email from US Weekly insisting that the widely-reported U-Haul wasn't for him. Who knows. I'm still reeling from the revelation that Pattison and Stewart were actually dating.

Is there a finishing school that celebrity children can attend to become less self aware? Today's example comes from Paulina Gretzky who SHOCKINGLY, has decided to follow in the footsteps of other LA starlets and start a music career: Awesome quotes on normalcy, ranging from studying at Interlochen to this gem, "I live such a down-to-earth life. I'm completely normal. People are amazed by how I present myself. They think I'm gonna be this total brat when I'm not." presented adjacent to a photo of her nude from the waist down with 99 tattooed above her crotch. Comic gold, I tell you.

A: Amy Argetsinger

There should be an L.A. bootcamp, mandatory for all celebrity children, in which someone gives them the toughlove talk about how they should go get their real estate license or whatever because, no, lightning is NOT going to strike twice in their family and they are NOT going to have a career in showbiz, no matter how entitled to one they feel.

Meanwhile, I don't want to tell you to look more closely at Paulina Gretzky's crotch, but she is not nude from the waist down. She is wearing flesh-colored panties with 99 printed on them.

Where there any sighting of Jacob Dylan when he was in town? He would be totally recignizable, right?

A: Amy Argetsinger

I appreciate how you inserted those misspellings to conceal your identity. But no, I didn't hear of Jakob Dylan being seen around town, though indeed, he would be very recognizable. He looks good, you know? Exactly the same as he did in the mid-90s, which is more than you can say for a lot of those guys from those bands in the mid-90s.

Flech-colored panties with 99 printed on them? Are those special-made or some sort of Wayne Gretzky-line?

A: Amy Argetsinger

You know, I try to be helpful, but some questions have answers beyond my reach. Perhaps even beyond my attention span. But I'll put it on my list to try to resolve later.

Of course, now I'm worried that if I ever run into Jay Carney, I'll get flustered and confused, and instead of asking, "where in Northern Virginia did you grow up?", I'll ask, "any idea where you can get those flesh-colored 99 panties?"

However, you stated that he "did not talk to reporters". How was that managed, in a building full of them? He didn't talk to anyone but Annie? And where's all the usual info - clothing, what he ate, description of his sparkling blue eyes, etc.?

A: Roxanne Roberts

You know what? I tried to interview him but he was "really busy," "didn't have time to talk," etc., etc. for a five minute chat about Watergate. He was in the newsroom for more than an hour and it looked like he only talked to a few higher-ups. Annie wasn't talking either, and her people referred me to Vanity Fair's PR person in New York because she didn't really want the shoot to be written about. (And they told me all this with a straight face.) On the scale of 1-10 on the Ridiculous Meter, I score this a 9. I spent most of yesterday shaking my head. No cheery details because I didn't get close enough to see his eyes.

Whoooo...who can conflate those two? Me! Anyhow, the thing that continues to amaze me about Swift is how she cuts a swath through men that would make the late Liz Taylor take notes, and yet she still manages to pull off the girly, "Oh, you guys, I can't imagine this is happening to me" attitude. She's either brilliant or a sociopath, or both. As for Gore Vidal, he's probably the last real "man of letters" we will see. Serious novels, screenplays, TV plays, mysteries, incredibly cogent essays. I don't think anyone is going to work so effectively in so many genres ever again. And what can you say about a guy who allowed that, "The three saddest words in English are 'Joyce Carol Oates.'"

A: Amy Argetsinger

Oh my god, did he say that? Withering.

And I second your idea. Vidal and Swift would have enjoyed each other immensely, I think.

I just read the novel-length Remnick profile of Springsteen. I thought he was a journalist, and was excited to read it. Instead, it was like a 30-page backrub for the Boss. Shouldn't he have an editor to tell him it would have been easier if he just took out a full-page ads that announced "I got to hang out with Springsteen backstage" and have no further value to add?

In addition to her beautification efforts, she was a real catalyst for the development of the Head Start program, one of the most successful (and surviving) elements of the war on poverty. She was a quiet but very effective activist as first lady, and I'm proud she'll have a stamp.

So, is all the publicity about Kristen Stewart having the (maybe) affair with her director a good or bad thing for movies that she and RPatz have made? I guess my question is whether there is any long-term impact on careers with this stuff, which happens all the time throughout every demographic.

A: Amy Argetsinger

Well, the movie series is almost over, right? It's hardly going to hurt the final movie this fall -- those tickets are already sold. Might even ramp up the drama. And it makes them both a little more interesting going into the rest of their careers.

Has Dennis Kucinich weigned in on this yet? I had heard they were friends.

A: Roxanne Roberts

He did this morning in a statement:

“America has lost a man of singular brilliance, a towering intellectual figure of immense heart and wit whose mere passing will revive the power and integrity of the adjective in the English language.

“Gore Vidal was a dear friend as well. This is a deep personal loss, an unfathomable loss to the world of literature and politics, whose consolation shall be the counsel and affliction by Gore’s writing for generations to come. We shall miss him, but he will not be gone. He will just be away.”

The article specifically talked about her styling for her pres run, didn't it? Styling does a lot of good. The snarkier side of me would note that people can only be on that list once, adn perhaps Ms. Bachmann had to, um, wait her turn.

A: Roxanne Roberts

No question that the presidential bid stepped up her game. She never looked better.

Is it fair to say that pressure from expectations caused this? Or is it a combination of desire for success, pressure/expectations, and a hole in professional ethics? And, do you agree with Jayson Blair that this happens a lot more than we know? It seems the two of you are the only ones I can trust....

A: Amy Argetsinger

I found it absolutely astonishing that someone working at Lehrer's level would be straight-up making up quotes. Setting aside the sheer wrongness of that kind of mendacity -- wouldn't a writer who came of age not only after the Janet Cooke scandal but the Jayson Blair and Stephen Glass scandals and into an era of unprecedented media-on-media scrutiny realize that HE'S GONNA GET CAUGHT? But I guess there are probably deeper, weirder problems going on in the head of someone who does something like that. Hard to figure. But yes, I do agree with Blair that there's probably more of that going on than we realize. Not much more, but some.

Is NBC trying intentionally to be so awful? They are censoring the opening ceremonies, and making boneheaded errors like previewing the gold medal winners on the Today Show tomorrow -- right before the event happens? Total bush league.

A: Roxanne Roberts

No one tries to be that bad---just too many people with too many agendas trying to suck up ratings. But there's a LOT of stupid stuff to build up fake drama.

Not too hard to research. Go to public libray, find phone book from the year the dude lived here (they used to be kept bound, might be on microfiche now) and look up his dad's name. The address will be there.

A: Amy Argetsinger

Actually, I've already done the digital equivalent of that, so I do have a sense of where he grew up. But those things are never 100 percent accurate, so I'm holding off until I know, which will be whenever I have a chance to ask him or someone close to him which will be. . . . well, remember, this topic completely leaves my brain by 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, to be forgotten until the following Wednesday at noon rolls around.

This show has jumped the shark! This morning I tuned in hoping to see athletes and what are we treated to? The gang trying to play beach volleyball dressed in the most garish outfits you can imagine. I pitied the volleyball duo -- those imbeciles couldn't even get a ball over the net, so the 2 team members were left to just stand around.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I thought Michelle Obama looked beautiful in her expensive jacket to meet the Queen. If she can afford a jacket at that price, it makes perfect sense for her to wear it to meet the Queen.

A: Roxanne Roberts

Three points:

1) I wasn't that impressed by the jacket on the first lady -- I've seen her in things I believe are more flattering on her.

2) The White House has always said she pays for clothing out of her personal funds, so of course she has the right to spend whatever she chooses on her wardrobe.

3) Wearing a $6,800 is a luxury for the very, very wealthy -- and I wonder about the wisdom of that choice a few months before the election when the economy is such a big factor for voters.

who? what? huh? P.S The only reason I would ever watch Today again would be Savannah Guthrie & Natalie Morales. Savannah got her national start on CourtTV -- very very smart-- too smart for duhmbed downness of network morning talk? you guys rock! but Katie what?

Are you two enjoying the odd sports showing on the TV this week? Of course I love the swimming and gymnastics, but find myself also captivated by men wearing bonnets (water polo) and women lifting weights (seems so 19th century). Any favs?

A: Amy Argetsinger

I've only seen a few hours of it. Fascinated by the physiques of the swimmers and the gymnasts. So unlike normal people.

Spend a few days reading Romenesko and it's a surprise to see that it's actually not that unusual in smaller papers, and especially at college papers. Seems like a week doesn't go by that some college journalist doesn't get fired for stealing or making stuff up. They apparently don't teach Blair or Glass in journalism classes.

Shouldn't we be thinking of this whole thing in terms of the end of a college relationship? They dated/got together when they were pretty young and had the whole "we're making movies and spending lots of time together" thing going on. Then, when it's over, it's kinda over.

She went through the door during her 2nd and 3rd marriages. I wonder how many times she went through the door in her unmentioned first marriage. Temptation is often around; that doesn't mean you have to succumb to it. In the Olympic spirit, I give her "low marks."

A: Roxanne Roberts

Ah, yes. Well, some of us are better at temptation than others. I'm not sure why she included all that in the book. Then again, I'm not a huge fan of most memoirs.

I guess it all depends on who marries who. My girlfriend told me that when Mark Shriver (son of Eunice Kennedy and Sargent Shriver) used to come in to the headquarters of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the women who worked there would get the word out and suddenly everyone would flock to wherever he was spotted. I mean women of every race, age and political persuasion.

A: Roxanne Roberts

Mark is adorable -- and really one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.

I did glimpse that one, just now catching up. Want to break it down for me? How do you get a better tournament spot by losing games? And if that is possible -- well, isn't that perhaps a fair bit of strategy?

for serious, people, come join me at the Early Show on CBS. It's quite good--actual news, very little nonsense during the first half hour of the show (all that I usually get to see), and Gayle King is very infrequently on until the second hour, when even her "fluff" is better than a lot of what's on Today and GMA.

I like the analogy of the college break-up for Stewart and Pattinson, because to me the director guy is like the creepy professor who goes for the co-ed. I think in this whole thing that guy (whose name I can't remember nor care about) is the biggest jerk.

A: Amy Argetsinger

Like Donald Sutherland and Karen Allen in "Animal House," you're thinking? We shouldn't pretend that we know what's going on in these people's relationships -- but that is part of the fun, isn't it?

Just because she pays for the items out of her personal funds (which is stated to make it clear its not tax/campaign dollars), hardly means she paid full retail. Except for the way it lays in the back, which may just be because the photo was taken mid-stride, I like it a lot, and seems to be the good balance for meeting the queen in a semi-formal situation.

for putting up with LBJ. He had to be difficult to stay married to. I love her name too, it's like a dog's name, but so Texan. RIP Gore Vidal, who had the brawl with William F. Buckley back in the days when intellectuals were interesting.

I think that the network's response to this is so ridiculous. Everyone does THAT. If you are another patron going to go to a place like that, you know that everyone is going to be doing THAT. It's practically the most appropriate place to do THAT outside of your home. It's not like he was sitting in the back row of Ice Age 3 during a Saturday matinee. He's an old guy, this was how you saw dirty movies back in the day and he wanted to go Old School. You don't think the network suits and their syncophants have their own salacious/tawdry/illegal smutty lives?

A: Amy Argetsinger

Honestly, I was surprised to learn that police still patrol these places. For public indecency cases, doesn't the spirit of the law require that you're actually causing a nuisance or offending those around you?

I am reminded why everyone with children should list a guardian AND at least one back-up, not to mention have trustees who truly have the best interests of the children at heart. Your will = last chance to make people do what you say.

A: Amy Argetsinger

Again, I've been out of the loop these past several days -- has Diana Ross come forward yet to crack the whip and set out some standards?

are compounded by the ridiculous Bob Costas. Two nights ago, talking to legendary Bella Karolyi, he tried to make a comparison about the new rule where gymnasts for the all around are determined by country (top 2 per) instead of by score. He used an NCAA basketball reference that Bella could not understand. D'oh! He could have just said "it's like when all the fastest swimmers are Americans in the preliminaries, but only two can go to the finals." Bob is never so ridiculous as when he tries to look smart.

A: Amy Argetsinger

Oh, but that's what I love about the Olympics. The pomposity, the arcane knowledge, the opportunities for cross-cultural offense. (BTW, it's a one-l "Bela.")

No worry--Michelle's jacket pales in comparison to the million dollar horse, three million dollar homes, etc, etc., etc. the Romneys have. If wealth is a race-loser, we;re looking at 4 more years of President Obama.

The article specifically talked about her styling for her pres run, didn't it? Styling does a lot of good. The snarkier side of me would note that people can only be on that list once, adn perhaps Ms. Bachmann had to, um, wait her turn.

A: Amy Argetsinger

I know people can only be on the list once, and that's why I was surprised she hadn't been on before because, frankly (and we get in trouble for saying this), she's kind of stunning. But as the folks from The Hill noted, she didn't really start to turn heads until she got herself done up for the presidential campaign.

The strategy is, at least for the Chinese, to ensure that the two teams don't meet until the final. How you get seated in the single elimination stage is dependent on results of the Round Robin portion and the Chinese wanted to make sure that both teams would make it to the final.

So I guess she proved yesterday that she deserved her spot on the team! Looking forward to seeing Reed Kessler in the show jumping - her last name may not be as recognizable as Jessica Springsteen's or Georgina Bloomberg's, but she is certainly an interesting addition to the team.

Has there been a more lame controversey in recent memory than the Krauthammer-Pfeiffer pissing match over a Churchill bust? Wouldn't these guys be better served reading some nice TMZ during the day to clear their minds?

With Baltimore hosting the National Sports Collectors Convention, are you thinking that we'll be graced with the likes of Mike Tyson and Reggie Jackson swinging through DC? Or would you expect them to be more focused on the meet and greets with what surely will be middle aged guys wearing jorts and Hawaiian shirts?

I'm tired of the notion that voters expect wealthy politicians to pretend they're poor because the economy is bad. The Obamas were wealthy before he wrote a best-selling book and became our highest-paid elected official. They can spend their money however they want, and unless they claim to be "regular folks" with the same economic concerns as everybody else (a la Gingrich), the press should lay off. Same goes for the Romneys.

I thought Charlie Rose would be like a sleeping pill in the morning, but he's much better that I thought he would be. Erica Hill is as steady as always, and meshes well with him when they do joint interviews. When Nora O'Donnell subbed for Erica, she did not come off well--stiff, awkward, as if someone someone were slipping her notes as she was talking. And as for Gayle King, well, fortunately, I leave for work by 8.

A: Amy Argetsinger

Who knew this many people were watching CBS This Morning? That's three of you! (Assuming you're not all the same person.)

HOWEVER, the fact that we're gone does not mean you should rest. Please keep sending us tips and sightings via reliablesource@washpost.com. Our colleagues here will be keeping an eye on stuff that matters. Signing off now. Enjoy the rest of your August. Dan's story here should put you in the mood: